Production costs may be reduced for high-volume semiconductor manufacturing when on-chip devices are limited to those necessary for the application(s) intended. In other words, the library of devices formed on a chip during manufacturing may be reduced to a limited set of device types or device families. Among other issues, this avoids unnecessary wafer processing and device library support costs. Significant high-volume production cost savings may be anticipated by elimination of at least these expenses.
One consequence of a restricted or limited device library is that general purpose circuit solutions may not always be available for use. For example, some devices may not be available for assembling common circuits, using the devices in the library. Common circuit designs may need to be modified to include the devices of the limited device library, instead of other more commonly used devices, for example. However, this is not always desirable, particularly when the available library devices have performance specifications that are less suited to the application(s).
Some solutions have included adding devices to the on-chip device library that have the performance characteristics desired. This can add wafer processing costs and device library support costs, such as the addition of layers, materials, implants, processes, and the like, that would otherwise not be used with the limited device library. Accordingly, the additional devices can increase the production costs. Other solutions have included producing circuits with the existing library of devices at reduced performance. For example, less accurate devices may be used to form less accurate circuits. While this lowers production costs, it also restricts the applications of the devices and circuits to those with wider tolerances and less dependence on accuracy. This reduces the usefulness of the devices and circuits, and may minimize the value in producing them.